Do you Believe?
by FancyCat002
Summary: Do you believe in Jack Frost? If you don't, follow this story, and you might end up actually believing...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Tick Tock.

Brown eyes glanced up at the clock, eyelids fluttering and a yawn sounding from lightly glossed lips. A dainty hand with a few old scars across it reached up to brush a few strands of rebellious blonde hair.

You waited, your impatient nature getting the better of you, causing you to fidget in your seat and tap your pencil. 'Come on…' You think, watching the clock intently, another yawn escaping your lips before finally—

The bell rang for the end of lesson.

Chairs scraped against the floor as your peers lunged for the door, but their dreams of escape were cut short as your teacher called out and clapped her hands once or twice. "Students." She began in a clear tone before smiling sweetly at you all. "Have a Merry Christmas~!" She sang happily, shooing her class away with a small chuckle. A few students replied with a 'Happy New Year!' or a 'You too, Miss!'. You simply laughed and waved as you left the room last. You and your teacher never saw eye to eye, but that didn't mean you couldn't be civil to one another.

You filed into the queue of rushing students, eager to exit out of the school gates and into the freedom of the Christmas holidays. You were so excited for the day to come that you thought you could throw up the bad cafeteria food. But no more oily noodles and cold pizza. You were out of that hell hole and into the final event of the year.

"Took long enough…" You mumbled to yourself as you finally made it out of the pack and past the school's front gates. It was then, as you were taking your first step of freedom, that you placed your foot down on a slither of ice, of which you hadn't seen. Your body fell backwards before you stumbled to regain your balance, eventually coming back to your upright position.

Your attention was then drawn up to the heavens as they parted and down came the first sight of snow all year. The children nearby screamed with joy, older youth grinning at each other, some moaning that it hadn't come earlier.

You?

Why you just let out the loudest 'BOOYAH' you could, jumping into the air, unaware of the brilliant azure eyes that watched with interest.

"Wow…someone's enthusiastic~!" A smooth voice chuckled, going unnoticed by the people that walked beneath the branch of which stretched above the pavement, and none saw the boy crouched upon the branch, staff in hand. This included you.

For you did not believe in such a silly tale, as that of Jack Frost.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Amber! Amber!"

A sharp voice woke you from your slumber and you opened your eyes slowly and unwillingly. You came face to face with none other than your little brother and sister. They were twins, obviously not identical, though the expressions they wore were similar; both with tears streaming down their cheeks and runny noses.

"Amber…" Your sister, Eva, mumbled looking at you with watery eyes. "We both had a nightmare…" She explained, as you glanced toward your alarm clock.

03:12 AM.

A sigh.

"Alright you, two. Come on up here." You said sweetly, helping Eva onto your bed while Joe, your little brother clambered up by himself. Both of them snuggled up on either side of you, as you made room for your siblings on your single bed.

"Okay, you see that dream catcher I have up there?" You questioned, pointing up towards the sewn web of softly coloured string, with beads and feathers dangling from it. They both nodded as you hoisted yourself onto your elbows and then touched each of their foreheads and clenched your fists shut, as if taking a hold of the nightmares lingering in their memories.

"Alright, watch this you two~" You chuckled, your siblings watching in awe as you blew into each of your fists, imagining yourself blowing the nightmares into the dream catcher, like flies on a web. Eva laughed and Joe's jaw dropped.

"Wow…" Joe murmured before Eva poked your arm. "So what do we do once they're in the dream-catcher, (y/n)?" She questioned with a tilt of her head. You simply smirked and patted her head gently.

"When we wake up, we'll take it over to the window and give it a good shake. That way, they'll fall off the web and out into the snow. That'll teach them not to bother this family again, okay?" You grinned before giving each of them a kiss on the head. "Okay, good night, you two. Love you."

Each of them mumbled a reply, and 'Love you too's but Joe pinched you lightly before you drifted off. "(y/n)? I don't think the Boogeyman likes what you did to his nightmares~" His voice was soft yet urgent, his eyes flitting over to the corner of the room. Your gaze followed, but you saw nothing except the dark corner.

"Shh~ Joe. There's no such thing as the Boogeyman, okay?"

Joe nodded and shut his eyes, but he couldn't forget those burning golden eyes, watching his older sister with interest and a flourish of anger.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Goodbye, nightmares!" Joe called as you shook the dream catcher out of the window, your soft locks falling across your face. Eva peeked up beneath your arm and giggled, before you drew your arm back inside and shut the window.

"Alright, you two! The nightmares are gone!" You grinned down at them as they jumped up and hugged you before looking up at you with large sparkling eyes. "Will you come and play in the snow with us?" Joe asked, Eva pulling her puppy-dog eyes. You let out a small sigh before nodding your head.

"I'll join you two later. I just want to relax this morning, okay?" You explained to them patting each of them on the head before steering them out of your room. "Right. Coats, gloves, boots, scarves and hats. Put 'em on and don't forget to brush your teeth!" At this the two children groaned but you had a card up you sleeve and added, "Well I guess the Tooth Fairy won't be happy with you, will she?" You questioned, causing them to gasp and rush off to get ready before they went outside.

Once they had left your room, you closed the door and let out a soft sigh. You loved them to bits but they were exhausting to care for at times, especially since Mum and Dad were going to be away until early Christmas morning. You didn't mind much though. They were travelling all the way to Hawaii for your Mum's best friend's wedding. That was in 12 days time, and they had left the morning of the day before.

"Ah well. It's been a while since those two have a had a vacation without Eva and Joe causing hell." You chuckled before pulling your dressing gown off of the back of the door and slipping into it with ease, tying it around your waist. You then plopped yourself down at your desk, of which sat to the side of your large window, and grabbed a pencil and your sketch pad. You flipped through the pages of your pad before finding a fresh page. You smiled and put the tip of the lead against the paper before suddenly your window slid upwards letting in a cool breeze.

You let out a small squeak before rushing to the window. "What the hell just happened?!" You growled angrily, glancing out of the window before pulling your head back in. You began to try and push the window back down but ice had frozen it's hinges. "Oh my God. This is unbelievable!" You exclaimed, not noticing the pages of your sketchbook being flipped through until you turned back to your desk to see the sketch Joe had wanted you to draw.

It was of a certain jolly old fat man with swords at his waist and a Russian fur hat upon his head. You had no idea why Santa would have swords, but Joe insisted that he did. Obviously it was just his childish imagination kicking into gear there. The same imagination that caused him to put on odd accents when impersonating Santa and the Easter Bunny.

You frowned and went back to your desk, glancing around before taking a glance at the pictures after that. The Tooth Fairy, 'a birdie lady' Eva had called her after proclaiming how she'd seen the Tooth Fairy once, flying past her window, with small little birds behind her. A small chuckle escaped your lips as your gaze travelled over the woman you'd drawn with a feather crown and a belt of teeth around her waste, large colourful wings upon her back and a matching dress that trailed around her dainty feet. Eva had told you how it didn't really look like her, but it was still very pretty.

It was then that a gush of cold air flew into your room, causing the sketch books pages to turn back to a clear space, though Joe's random drawing of golden sand was trailed around the edge. You frowned and rushed over to the window, trying to shut it again. But to no avail. And when you returned to your desk, you noticed a small note written upon the page.

"EVA AND JOE."

You narrowed your eyes and shook your head. This morning was definitely turning into a strange one. "I probably didn't get enough sleep~" You sighed before closing the sketch book, deciding to make some tea before a scream sounded from the green outside, where the neighbourhood children were playing.

Where Eva and Joe were playing.

You ran to the window and squinted, seeing nothing but the children gathering together screaming, Eva and Joe among them. "What's going on?!" You asked yourself, stuffing your feet into your slippers before running out of your room, down the stairs and out of the door, leaving it open behind you.

"Eva! Joe!" You yelled as you ran over to the grass, but Eva looked at you with frantic eyes. "Amber! Run! It's you! The Boogeyman's after you!" She screamed, tears running down her face. You looked at her frantically, and stopped in your steps.

"Boogeyman?" You questioned, before glancing at the children. They all looked petrified. This wasn't some prank. Their fear was evident and genuine. "Eva...The Boogeyman isn't real..." You told her, beginning to walk slowly towards her. Joe's eyes widened and he suddenly ran out of the group and grabbed onto something, his arms holding tightly onto thin air.

"DON'T! DON'T TOUCH MY SISTER!" He yelled angrily, causing you to glance at the children again. They were clinging to one another, as if they were surrounded by something. You had no idea what was going on, but little did you know of how much danger you were in.

All of sudden, Joe was floating in mid-air, the front of his shirt holding him up, as if someone had grabbed him by the collar, and he was thrown into the snow. "JOE!" You yelled, and began to run towards him but Eva screamed again.

"No, Amber! Don't! The Boogeyman!"

You looked towards her, your eyes wide. What did you do? Joe had just flown through the air and the children were screaming about an non-existent being. Or was the Boogeyman real. As a child you had always believed in things like Santa and the Sandman, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. You had even had a small belief in Jack Frost, though you had always though Jack Frost would give you hypothermia if you stayed outside for too long. And even the Boogeyman, though you had never seen these beings. How could they be real if you'd never seen them?!

But maybe...

"Eva..." You call out before closing your eyes. "Where is the Boogeyman?" You questioned, keeping your eyes clenched tightly shut.

"Right in front of you." Came the reply, but it was not Eva who said it. The voice was low and silky, with a hint of menace melted into each syllable. An eye peeked open, as you began to feel goosebumps rise on your arms, the chill of the outside world piercing your flesh. It was at this point that you really wished you hadn't opened your eyes. That you had never begun to believe...never begun to fear the Boogeyman. For their he stood, right in front of you with a demonic grin upon his face.

You let out a gasp and stumbled away from him, eyes wide before you looked over to the children, surrounded by horses shrouded in darkness, a stray horse carrying Joe by the scruff of his colour, using it's teeth. "Oh my God..." You whispered, fear filling your entire being before one of your wrists was cruelly snatched into the Boogeyman's grasp.

You screamed and tried to pull away from him, but he only laughed and pulled you into him. Your face hit his chest as another hand grasped your chin. "So, you can see me now?" He questioned, his golden eyes glinting dangerously. Your lip trembled before setting firmly and your right hand balled into a fist and punched him in the gut. The man let out a strangled gasp, releasing you as his hands travelled to his stomach.

Snow filled your slipper, causing you to squeak, but you didn't waste another second as you ran towards the children, the horses turning towards you. They snorted smoke and narrowed their golden gaze. You glanced around and noticed a long stick by your feet. You grabbed it and held it up threateningly before charging at the horses. You swung the stick down onto one of them, and the horse exploded into a shower of ash-black sand. You jumped, startled by this before a trail of thin black sand wrapped itself around your waist and before you could even swing down, you were plucked off the ground, one of your slippers sliding off your feet.

"NO!" You screamed as your gaze caught Eva's tearful eyes. "EVA!" You yelled again, tears pricking at your eyes. Soon, the Boogeyman had brought you back towards him and a new mare trotted over to the children, the stray one also joining them and placing Joe back inside their barrier.

"Let me down! Now!" You growled angrily, clawing at the sand, only to have it wrap around your arms, pinning them to your sides tightly. "S-STOP IT!" You screamed, wondering why no parents had come to see what all the screaming and yells were about. Then it dawned on you. The parents were mostly at work. Other neighbours were out shopping and baby-sitters were most probably doing other things like watching TV or playing on their laptops. If it hadn't been for your window being open or the note, it was doubtful you would have come outside.

The Boogeyman's laughter interrupted your thoughts, causing you to glare down at him. "Why?" You asked, biting your bottom lip as your squirmed in the hold of his dark sand. Golden eyes glinted playfully and he was about to reply when a snowball hit him in the face. He let out an 'OOF!' before reaching up to wipe the snow from his face. Your head turned to the horses' neighing as they all appeared to disappear. The children began to laugh and cheer, tears drying.

"W-What...?" You mumbled, before the Boogeyman let out a fearsome growl. "Can't you ever stay out of my way, Jack?" He glared at the empty space as the children ran to safety across the green towards the entrance to the cul-de-sack. Who was Jack?

"Jack Frost...?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Jack Frost...?"

The Boogeyman chuckled before his eyes narrowed as he glared at the empty space, when suddenly he was thrown backwards, tumbling into the snow with a yelp of pain, his lack of concentration on you ending up in the sand dispersing. You fell and hit the snow hard, the cold soaking into you dressing gown and pyjamas quickly.

You shivered, and groaned, your back aching from the sharp impact and by this time, the Boogeyman had recovered himself and was on his feet once more, grinning madly. "Oh? Can she not see you, Jack?" He asked the air next to you, and you felt the atmosphere bristle, somehow. "She fell straight through you." The Boogeyman continued harshly. "You couldn't even catch her, let alone soften her fall, could you?"

You sat up, a frown painted onto your features as you glanced at Eva and Joe among the crowd of children on the other side of the green. You gave the Boogeyman a quick glance before scrambling onto your feet and rushing towards them. The Boogeyman growled, but seemed to get cut off as you ran to your siblings.

You reached them in a matter of seconds, but when you walked closer, the children gasped. You took no heed of it and simply ordered them to return to their homes immediately. "It's not safe. Go home now. Everyone!" You stated firmly. The children listened and a few nodded, some of them waving farewell to the empty space next to you, but all left except for Eva and Joe who simply looked up at you and asked, "Don't you believe, Amber? You just walked straight through them..."

You gave them a questioning look and quickly glanced behind you. The Boogeyman seemed to be fighting an invisible being, or perhaps more, as more horses gathered around him and fought off some of his invisible opposition. "I don't know what you two mean, but I have no idea what's going on and I'm freezing. So let's get inside, NOW. And then I'll call the police to come and get this lunatic." You commented but you were surprised when they shook their heads.

"You can't hide at home. He'll still find you, Amber. And the police won't be able to see him." Eva replied before pointing to your left. "Santa said you're going to the North pole." At this your brow furrowed before you softened your expression. "Santa? Listen I...Wait, Eva...Joe...Does Santa Claus exist?" You asked, confusion burning away at your sense of reality. You had no idea what was happening any more. But...Eva had seemed to be right about the Boogeyman, didn't she? He didn't seem like the usual criminal.

Your siblings gave a nod in reply before Joe added, "And the Tooth Fairy." Eva continued, "The Sandman." And Joe finished off by adding. "And the Easter Bunny. Even Jack Frost." Your eyes widened and you nodded. "Okay. Where are they? Are they even here now?" You inquired, gaining another nod in reply.

"We are all here." A gruff voice replied to your left, heavily laced in a Russian accent. You turned to the source of the voice and your jaw dropped. "Santa...You ..." You glanced to the the bearded man's waist and gasped. "You do have swords!"

At this Joe and Eva laughed, and then you heard a sweet giggle behind you, so spun around to face it, the snow slowly turning your toes slightly blue. "Oh. My. God. " You muttered as you looked at the hovering woman, of whom you assumed was the Tooth Fairy. And then you glanced downwards after a large golden arrow of sand attracted your attention, pointing towards the little man to the fairy's right. "The Sandman..." You mumbled, and then a cough drew your gaze over to a _very _over-sized rabbit. "The Easter Bunny..." You choked, your eyes so wide, you thought they were going to fall out of their sockets.

And then you looked towards the empty green. "T-The Boogeyman! Where'd he go?!" You exclaimed, and then you heard a laugh from behind you.

"I guess you scared him off with that bed hair of yours." Came a witty remark, and you whipped around to give the culprit a good smack, when your eyes fell upon a rather attractive, albino boy. Your eyes quickly narrowed though and you grabbed the front of his frosted hoodie, raising a balled fist.

"Who on Earth are you? And if you don't take back what you just said, I'm going to punch your lights out."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Who on Earth are you? And if you don't take back what you just said, I'm going to punch your lights out."

A few chuckles went around behind you as the boy held up his hands in mock surrender, laughing nervously. "Sorry, sorry. Didn't think you were so touchy about that bird's nest on your head." He commented which earned him a thump on the head. He yelped, his hands flying up to his head, for he hadn't expected an attack to come."I warned you." You stated simply, before releasing his jumper with a frown.

"Oh, she got'cha there, mate" A voice thick with an Australian accent, sounded and you turned towards the Easter Bunny with a small arch of her brow. "You know this rude git?" You questioned, and the Bunny chuckled. "Yeah, I know him. And you must too if you can see him."

That caused you to pause. "No. No way. That is not...You are not..." You muttered, your gaze turning back to the boy you had hit, a smirk now settled back onto his features, though he was still rubbing his head. "But...you're young..." You commented simply, causing the others to chuckle and laugh.

"I always thought Jack Frost was this old guy with a big frosty beard, and if I stayed outside for too long, he'd give me frostbite or hypothermia or something!" You continued, only earning more laughter, before your adrenaline finally wore off and the cold hit you like a sofa. The Tooth Fairy seemed to notice and quickly elbowed Santa.

"Look at the girl! She's freezing! Hasn't even got both her slippers on!" She exclaimed, before ordering Santa to remove his large coat. He did so and placed it around your shoulders, although everything had started to become slightly blurred, darkening beneath your drooping eyelids. You had started to feel tired. Extremely tired. You let out a large yawn, and your knees begin to give way beneath you. Jack caught you, looping his arm around your waist and hoisting one of your arms over his shoulder.

Eva and Joe began to panic as your body became still, for you had passed out, one of the first effects of hypothermia. Jack took you over to the sleigh and the Easter Bunny helped Jack manoeuvre you into the sleigh. The Tooth Fairy then began to explain to your siblings about what was happening before telling them to get in the sleigh as well. The Easter Bunny had already tucked you up on the seat, covered in Santa's large fur coat, and Jack sat next to you, frowning with concern.

"Oi, mate. She'll be fine." The Easter Bunny muttered to Jack with a small smile. Jack appreciated the attempt at reassurance and nodded, before standing up to help Eva and Joe in as well. The Easter Bunny sat Eva on his lap, while the Sandman made a large futon on the sleigh's floor for Joe to sit on. The Tooth Fairy hovered inside as well, a few of her fairies following as Santa Claus slipped into the driver's seat and started up the sleigh.

"Are you all ready?" He chuckled, preparing the Easter Bunny for the worst. He nodded with a grimace and Eva chuckled. "Okay! Here we go!" Santa exclaimed, shaking the reigns of the reindeer. They stomped their hooves and began to hit the ground firmly, pulling the sleigh a long from a fast walk into a sprint, the sleigh bumping along the road before pulling up into the air.

"Oh, crikey!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Long eyelashes fluttered delicately over brown orbs filled with the dreary effects of sleep and bewilderment. With a light yawn that escaped dry lips, you sat up, the thick fur blankets that covered your torso slipping down and crumpling at your waist as you took in your surroundings.

You were laying upon a large cushioned sofa in a large room with the scent of mulled wine and cranberries filling the air. From were you sat, you could see the large windows looking out on the beautiful snow filled scene on the wall straight ahead of you. To your right was a roaring fire beneath a mantel piece decorated with holly and tinsel, and in front of that was a large fur rug. You let out a small and satisfied sigh. It was warm and cosy in the strange room, beneath the thick blankets.

"WAIT! WHAT?!"

You frantically tried to scramble out from beneath the blankets, tumbling onto the floor as a result of your panicked actions. The blanket landed on top of you, covering your head, but before you could lift it off, the large set of wooden doors across the room creaked open. You peeked out from beneath the blanket, only glimpsing the empty doorway before the door shut again. Your brows furrowed at this before you let out a strangled gasp, for a weight had just dropped upon your back and would not budge.

"G-Get off!" You exclaimed, as you heard a familiar chuckle, and instantly your expression hardened. Your jaw set as you shifted your shoulders and rolled over, yelling, "I said, GET OFF!"

The boy crouched upon your back let out a gasp as he lost his balance and tumbled onto the ground next to you. You untangled yourself from the blanket before launching yourself at the boy, wrapping your arms around his waist as you both tackled each other across the wooden floor. It ended up with you straddling the spirit of winter, fists full of his hoodie as you glared sharply at him.

"Okay! Where the hell am I?! And were you trying to break my back or something, you idiot?!" You yelled furiously, your anger evident through your tightly clenched fists, and blazing glare. Jack seemed to be startled by this, but smirked and simply leant in and nipped your nose.

You squealed and threw yourself away from him, you face red and your chest heaving, as your hand clutched your nose as if it had been broken. Jack laughed, finding this fairly amusing as he got up and brushed himself down. He then walked over to his discarded staff, leaning against the sofa, kicking it up into his grasp.

"Hey, Amber. Need a hand?" He questioned as he approached you and offered his hand. You had been going cross-eyed at the time, trying to take a look at your red-tipped nose, for even though it had been bitten softly, the sensation was so strange you didn't even know how to react. For a second, your nose was so cold, you thought it was burning. But the effect wore off almost instantly, and you let out a sigh of relief before glaring up at Jack's signature smirk and his outstretched hand.

"No, thank you." You stated firmly, flicking his hand away from you before standing up and straightening out your pyjama top. You stalked straight past Jack, heading for the doors, but a cold grip caught your wrist, causing you to jolt backwards and stumble into Jack Frost. You gritted your teeth and recovered your balance before turning to face him, your glare as piercing as dagger.

"What now?!" You growled angrily, trying to yank your wrist away from him. He was probably the most annoying person in the whole world. Jack simply chuckled and let go of your wrist gently, moving his hand to rub the back of his neck.

"Um, well I came to give you those~" He explained, pointing towards the sofa. You hadn't noticed the pile of clothing folded on top of the cushions while you had been throwing a hissy fit. "Oh..." You mumbled before your eyes widened as something dawned on you.

"The children! Where are they?!" You exclaimed, racing to the door bare footed, and shoving it open with ease, of which just added to Jack's shock, for he had no idea how to react to your sudden outburst, and just remained where he stood with wide eyes. His reaction wasn't much different to yours as your gaze fell upon your surroundings.

"Santa's workshop..." You muttered in awe before your eyes set upon the large globe in the centre and the familiar figures gathered in the room closest to it. You leaned over the balcony outside of your room, deciding to make your way down there and ask the big man himself before you realized a major detail. There wasn't a staircase leading up to the room you had been staying in.

"What is this?! Some sort of prison cell?!" You exclaimed fiercely before hearing a chuckle behind you. "Jack. What the hell is the meaning of this!?" You turned to him, eyes flaming with fury. "Where am I?! Where are Eva and Joe?! And why the heck aren't there any stairs?!" You interrogated him as you stormed over to him and pinched his ear, causing him to let out a yelp. "You haven't answered any of my questions, you ass!"

"Ow! Hey, Amber! Calm it! This room is North's special room! There's only one way in and out and it's a secret passage to stop trespassers getting in! The only reason I can get up here is because I can fly!" Jack explained angrily as he pulled your fingers tips off of his now reddening ear. "Jeez...Girls..." He muttered, causing you to throw another glare at him, still reasonably pissed off, for he had only answered one question.

You then stroked your chin gently, wondering why it was you were allowed to camp out in such a room. But then your jaw set stiffly and you simply hardened your gaze. You were in this room simply because you wouldn't be in the way, right? That was it.

"UGH!" You let out a cry of frustration, and to Jack's dismay, smacking your head on the door before a flash of green caught your gaze. You spun around to face the item, of which was a hovering green disk, controlled by a small joystick held by one of the abominable snowmen things. Your eyes shone and you ran back over to the balcony to spy a good few of the hovering disks, all of different colours. An idea struck and you eyed the toys with a curious eye, but then let out a sigh. Far too dangerous. You didn't know if you'd be able to grab one, let alone if it'd support your weight. You'd just get Jack to take you down, seeing as he could fly.

"Wait?! You can fly?!" You exclaimed, turning to the frost spirit wearing a pair of wide eyes and a gaping jaw, for it had only just registered in your mind. Jack laughed in reply and rested his staff onto his shoulder.  
"Y'know, Amber… You're pretty slow~" He commented, and your eyes instantly narrowed, irritated by his words. Jack met your irked glare with a mischievous grin.  
"You want to have a bit of fun, Amber?" He questioned approaching you. You cocked a brow and pointed towards the doors.  
"Um..I should get change—-" You began before Jack grabbed your thighs, and threw you over his shoulder. You let out a squeak kicking your legs frantically.  
"W-What do you think you're doing?!" You yelled, your cheeks flaming with embarrassment. You only gained a laugh in response before Jack poked your foot with the tip of his staff. "You're not as heavy as I thought you'd be!"

At this, you began to thump his back once or twice. "How rude!" You huffed angrily, "Now, put me down." You ordered, already annoyed but that was quickly replaced by the tidal wave of shock that flooded through you when Jack launched himself over the edge of the balcony. Gravity caught you both in it's grasp as a scream erupted from your throat and you grabbed Jack's hoodie as if you were holding on for dear life, but Jack also had a firm grip upon your legs, so it was doubtful you'd separate from him.

You stomach rolled and did a flip as you fell, and yet you were suddenly falling...in the opposite direction?

You opened the eyes you had clenched shut to see the room travelling spinning around you and the threat of throwing up became evident. You quickly grew used to the churning motion of your organs before letting out a piercing scream.

"JAAAAAAACK!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"JAAAAAAACK!"

Pink eyes widened and long eyelashes fluttered as the Tooth Fairy blinked once or twice, before her gaze shot over to the two teenagers soaring through the air, one screaming like a lunatic and the other seemingly amused by it all. A dainty hand massaged soft brows as Toothiana let out a small sigh, before glancing over at the silent chokes and the death symbol scattered above Sandy's head, for he had choked on his eggnog and was now spluttering and coughing in mute. Toothiana cringed and flew over to him and began to pat his back as Bunnymund let out a loud groan.

"Typical! Bloody Typical! He's never professional about anything! Always mucking about!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air, as a sign of his exasperation. North just chuckled and patted his belly. "Calm, Bunny! It is Christmas spirit! It bring out joy no matter what the situation." He laughed, before stroking his beard as he watched Jack land upon the globe and gently set you down next to him.

"Jack!" North called, smiling in his usual jolly demeanour "Why is it Amber is not dressed and ready for big meeting, hmm?" At this, his voice and features hardened ever-so-slightly into a more scolding expression and tone. Jack cringed slightly before rubbing the back of his head.

"A-Ah, well you see, I-" He began though he was cut of by your interruption. "He thought it best to give me a tour of the place, in my pyjamas." Your voice, though it began in a sweet manner, ended rather bitterly though you still wore an innocent smile on your face, sending off the message that the frost spirit was going to pay for his actions. Then you looked up at Jack and tilted your head towards North. Jack grinned and picked you up again, this time, allowing you to sit on the arm that grasped your legs as he half flew-half jumped from the globe to the room in which the Guardians were.

"Anyway" You began, slipping out of jack's grasp, "I have some questions for you, Mr Claus." You stated walking up to him before placing you hands on your hips. "Firstly, why am I...Are you telling me to 'shush' or something?" You questioned, noting North's finger on his lips and innocent grin.

"Yes!" He replied simply, causing your jaw to drop slightly. "We answer your questions once you are dressed and ready for meeting at dining table!" North chuckled before glancing over at Jack.

"Jack, escort the young lady to her room." North ordered the frost spirit, adding emphasis on the word 'escort'.

"Hold up." You started, puffing up your cheeks as you looked up at North. "Why won't you just show me the secret-" But, yet again, you were interrupted by his finger on his lips.

"Questions later, little lady~!" North chuckled, turning back to the others and heading over to the Sandman, who was now leaning against the wall quivering with a grave stone floating above his head. You frowned slightly before turning to Jack and closing your eyes as you folded your arms across your chest.

"You here that, Frost? Escor-EEEEK!" Your volume increased as you let out a squeak, your eyes flashing wide open as Jack held you in his arms, bridle style. He looked down at you and grinned, and you felt your cheek burn up, mentally admitting that he had quite a handsome face. Of course, that was before you mentally punched that thought in the gut. "J-Jack! How is this escorting me!?"

"Well, I thought it better than throwing you over my shoulder, m'lady~!" Jack laughed, his tone slightly mocking as he held you, still with his staff in his hand, having settled your legs into the crook of his right arm. He then jumped up into the air, at which point you promptly squeezed your eyes shut, wrapping your arms around his neck and holding on tightly, for fear of falling.

"Sorry."

You opened your eyes to find yourself still in Jack's arms, though you were now on the balcony outside the familiar large doors. "Jack?" You questioned, brow furrowed as you met his azure gaze. Jack smiled weakly and set you down gently.

"I must have really made you hate flying with me, huh?" He laughed, cringing slightly as he looked over his shoulder at the large globe. You let out a sigh before heading over to him and giving his shoulder a light punch. "Hey, Jack." You smiled softly, "You're not all that much of a bad guy. Sure, you're a frickin' pain when you want to be...but yeah..." You mumbled off, losing track of what the point to this little...pep talk was. "But, I don't hate flying. I just haven't had the best first impression of it...of you, y'know?" You chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of your head, in a similar fashion to how Jack had done so previously.

"Heh...I see." Came Jack's reply as he grinned before letting out a laugh. "I'll be sure to improve your impression of me from now on!" He smirked before hopping onto the balcony's edge and dropping off. You felt the urge to run to the edge for your mind hand't fully caught up with the idea of flying, but you simply turned away, smiling to yourself as you opened the heavy doors to your room.

"Alright...time to get changed."

As you began to strip off, you couldn't help but notice a few bruises on your body, from where the Boogeyman's sand had grabbed you during the rather frightening encounter. Some were only light red marks, but there was a shocking violet line trailed around your waist from when you had been hoisted into the air. It wasn't all that painful to touch; you realised when you trailed your fingertips over it. But like every other person out there, you had to give it a good test, and so you pressed your fingers fiercely against the bruising, instantly regretting it.

"OUCH! FRICK!" You exclaimed, your eyes already watering, for it had sent a large shudder of pain through your body, and still stung, throbbing gently now. You let out a small sigh before looking through the pile of clothes and cocking a head to the side as you recognised the underwear...which meant...

_'Someone went through my underwear draw...' _You thought, your face beginning to steam, but you quickly pushed the thought aside, focusing more on the fact that they went through the trouble of actually bringing clothes from home for you. You let out a deep breath and pulled on the blue and white blocked pair of knickers, and the plain white bra, relaxing into your own underwear before suddenly...

"Are you okay, Sheila?!"

"What's wrong, Amber?!"

You turned to the door, your jaw unhinged, mouth gaping as you stared at the similar expression of the Easter Bunny and Jack Frost. It remained that way for about a second or two before you yelled, "W-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?!"

Both of the males turned away, Jack with a red face and Bunny with his ears pointing straight up, eyes wide. "W-Well, w-we heard you scream a-and we thought that uh...something had uh...happened..." Jack mumbled, completely embarrassed as you scrambled about, before settling on just wrapping the discarded blanket around you like a cloak.

"O-Okay...w-well thank you both for your concern, but please just...get out." You replied, your face burning up. Bunny didn't even need you to finish the sentence for he had already stamped his foot on the floor and hopped straight into the rabbit hole, disappearing from sight. Jack flew straight for the door and shoved it open, a squeak sounding from behind it. He mumbled a quiet and rushed "Sorry", before flying down to the lower levels.

"Well...I did warn them that you may not be in the proper state for visitors " Came a sweet voice and your gaze looked onto rose pink iris as the Tooth Fairy zoomed over to you and opened your mouth. "Oh how lovely! They've really improved, y'know!" She exclaimed, as you just stood their in shock before pulling away and questioned, "What's improved?"

Toothiana chuckled before pointing to her own teeth and tapped her right canine. "Your teeth!" She exclaimed before landing herself on the floor, her wings coming to a rest. "I don't normally walk, but I think I best take a look at some of your bruising, yes?" She smiled weakly and you couldn't help but mimic the smile in return and release the blanket giving the Tooth Fairy full view of your body and of the bruise.

"Wait..How did you know I had bruises?" You quickly inquired as the thought struck you. Toothiana rubbed the back of her neck before grinning, "I thought your back had been wounded by your fall, so I took a look once North brought you up here. Only glimpsed the bruise though." She explained, and just as you opened your mouth to ask who 'North' was, she help up her finger and giggled, "Questions at the meeting, okay?"

You sighed and nodded, stiffening slightly as the fairy began to examine the bruise from your side and gently brushed her finger along it. "Does that hurt?" She asked sincerely, nodding as you shook your head in reply. Toothiana beamed before her wings began to flutter once more and she hovered up into the air. "It should heal in a few days, so now..." Toothiana picked up the clothing from the sofa and then called in her fairies, of whom were carrying a hairbrush, jewellery and make-up also from your home.

"Let's get you all dolled up!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Tick Tock.

Tick Tock.

Tick Tock.

The clock hands travelled around the face of the large clock on the wall. A flustered Jack and Bunny were now standing at opposite ends of the room, both emitting an aura filled with shame and embarrassment, both males naturally fearful and concerned for their well-being, their thoughts also similar by the fact that they had imagined scenarios of which all played out their deaths by your hands. Occasionally, they glanced at one another before quickly turning away, until…

"Hey mate…"

Jack turned to face Bunnymund, a grimace settled upon his features. "She's going to kill us, isn't she?" He questioned the Pooka, of whom seemed to turn pale, even though his fur could not change colour.

"Um…Something along those lines, mate. Yeah." Bunnymund replied, gulping before glancing around, his eyes then flicking back to Jack.

"Okay, mate. I say we never speak of it again. And by no means should North ever find out…" Bunnymund's sentence fell into a whisper as his gaze flickered down towards the small elf at their feet, of whom peered up with curiosity. Reacting in a panicked state, Jack quickly tapped the elf with his staff, instantly freezing the poor critter, before Bunnymund, kicked him away and down the staircase. Jack then turned to Bunny and nodded his head.

"Deal" He stated simply as a large bell sounded and North came up the opposite staircase  
to the one the elf had taken a tumble down.

"Come come, you two. Breakfast is being served~!"

The Yetis had already begun to bring out bronze plates, with piles of food settled upon them. It was mostly things like toast, and cheese, a fried eggs and slices of bacon and a lot of blini, a Russian style pancake. Jams and spreads of all different shades, red, yellow and orange, were placed along the wooden table as the three Guardians sat themselves down at the end. Jack's eyes widened at the amount of food and his jaw dropped.  
"North, y'know there's only five of us eating, right?" He inquired, ducking as a Yetis placed a large bowl of fruit upon the table. The frost spirit then raised his head to examine the strawberries and raspberries in the bowl, before reaching out and picking up a single shiny red apple from the bowl and tossing it from hand to hand. The Yeti that had been laying down the cutlery and plates, tapped Jack's hand and shook his head.

"Blorfmgah!"

Jack cringed, guessing that the Yeti was gesturing to the fact that he was playing with his food, and the Guardian laughed sheepishly, placing the apple onto his plate. "Sorry~" He replied before turning to Bunnymund, who was eyeing the carrots with a small glint of desire in his emerald orbs. North patted his belly and sang, "Feeding time, belly!"  
This caused Bunny and Jack to throw an odd stare at North, while the Yetis continued to set the table for breakfast. After all the food was laid out, practically smothering the wood in platters and bowls, the boys awkwardly fell into silence; Jack prodding his apple impatiently while Bunnymund stamped his foot lightly and North planned out in what order he would eat the food.

"Blimey! How long are they gonna take?!" The Easter Bunny suddenly exclaimed leaning forward upon the table, his ears pointing upwards in a confused manner.

"I know! I was thinking the same thing! Does it really take so much effort to put on a few clothes?!" Jack agreed, shrugging his shoulders with a frown settled upon his face. At this point, North had noticed something and silenced them both by holding up the palms of his hands at them. "Wait…Where is Sandy?" He questioned, glancing at Jack and then to Bunny. Almost on queue, a puff of golden sand shimmered beneath the table and a high-pitched giggle followed. The three Guardians exchanged looks of confusion before they all bent over to peer beneath the wooden surface. The scene they saw was more than slightly surprising.

"Sandy?! What are you doing under there?!" North asked, his thick brows arched as blue  
orbs met two pairs of wide eyes. Sandy passed his cup of eggnog over to the elf sitting next to him and quickly pointed at the supposed culprit. Scattered around them both were around twenty empty cups and to Sandy's left was a large jug, most likely empty, or still with remnants of the eggnog that had once brimmed the edge. The elf let out a gasp and just stared as Sandy got up and dusted himself down before heading over to the North. But before he reached the edge of the table, he backtracked a few steps, took the cup from the elf and downed its contents, after which did he return the cup and then walk out from the beneath the table, releasing a small hiccup of which came in the form of another small puff of sand from his mouth.

Jack sat upright in his seat, laughing at this but when his azure eyes flickered towards the balcony overlooking the toy shop and the globe, he abruptly fell silent. Bunnymund sat up and looked across the table at Jack, about to inquire if he was alright, but he instead followed Jack's gaze and his jaw dropped slightly. North had just finished scolding Sandy, whom had noticed the two females at the top of the staircase and was pointing towards them frantically.

"Yes, yes, Sandy. But we cannot blame little elf now, can we? Even if he is extremely…uh..special." The Guardian of Wonder finished before sighing and glancing at the Sandman. "Sandy. Haven't you listened to what I just…" He drifted off as his eyes also followed the direction of Sandy's pointed finger and North blinked once or twice as he took in the sight.

Your lips quivered slightly as all four pairs of eyes set upon you and you couldn't help but feel incredibly nervous. The only sound to be heard, was that of the work in the toy shop below and the fluttering of the fairies that were still admiring their handiwork and that of their Queen. Toothiana cleared her throat, arching her brows quickly before jilting her head towards you in a gesture for the boys to invite you to take a seat. North coughed before pushing his chair back and standing up.

"Ah, Amber! We were just waiting for you! You like the clothing the Yetis made for you, yes?" He questioned beckoning for Jack to get up and pull out a chair for you as you approached the table, cheeks pulsing a soft scarlet.

"Y-Yeah~ They're lovely" You replied softly, a smile gracing your glossy lips as you sat in your seat and whispered your thanks to Jack. If it hadn't have been for the hair that had conveniently fallen across your eyes, you could have sworn you saw Jack's cheeks redden slightly before he turned away from you and returned to his seat.

"Okay, everyone! Eat to heart's content! But after you have filled your bellies, we talk about the situation at our hands, yes?" North inquired those at the table with an arched brow to see if anyone opposed his plan for the breakfast meeting, only to find everyone nodding their heads in agreement. The Guardian of Wonder smiled at this before clapping his hands twice.

"Then, let us eat!"

Instantly the Guardians began to serve themselves, using the serving spoons and the other  
pieces of cutlery to gather food upon their plates. Bunnymund served himself practically the whole bowl of carrots, refusing to even look at the fried eggs. North, of whom had already filled his plate with blini and bacon, scolded Bunny, and an argument blossomed between the two, something along the lines of the Pooka being a baby. Sandy had already had his fill of eggnog, so simply helped himself to the variety of berries, while Tooth gave into the temptation of the fine cheeses, going into a full discussion about her love for the European delicacy with her fairies, all of whom were munching upon the crackers. While this was all going on, you simply gathered a few slices of toast on your plate and then reached for the stawberry jam. Unfortunately, being sat at such a large table, you couldn't quite reach the jam and your fingers uselessly brushed the glass side of the jar, before a pale hand grasped the jar and placed it before you. You lifted your head to look at Jack, mumbling an embarrassed 'Thank you', before twisting the lid off of the jar.

"Hey…um…"

You glanced up once more to look at Jack as he spoke, eyebrows arched. "Yes?" You replied, wearing an inquisitive expression.

"You look…You look really nice." Jack murmured, gaze briefly meeting your own before he quickly tore his eyes away, cheeks blooming a pale rose. A light smile spread across your features as your finger tips gently brushed his knuckles. Though his skin usually had a colder touch than the average person, the moment your fingers came in contact with Jack's hand, an odd warmth spread from the meeting point and up your arm, as if it were travelling through your blood, before it hit your heart and the warmth flooded your entire being, and the desire for another wave of the sensation caused you to gently clasp his hand. By this point, not only Jack had noticed the soft hold upon him, but Baby Tooth and Sandy had noted the development of interaction, giving each a knowing smile, while Jack simply stared at your slim hand and then raised his azure eyes to transfer the stare to your lightly painted cheeks.

"Thank you…" You whispered, glancing at him out of the corner of your eye, to easily spy the growing smile and the pearly white teeth.

"No problem." He replied, relishing your touch as he felt himself melt into a state of relaxation. When you began to slip your hand away, he reacted quickly, his hand snatching yours before you could pull it too far away from him. A sharp intake of breath and your gaze flew to your hand in his, the warmth now replaced with a shock, similar to electricity, running through you, sending goosebumps up your arm.

"Not yet." You heard Jack whisper, before you glanced at the others and pulled your joined hands off the table, hiding them by your side. Jack's brows furrowed questioningly but you pressed a finger to your lips and jerked your head slightly towards the other Guardians. His mouth formed an 'O' shape before it split into a large grin, and you felt him squeeze your hand playfully. You let out a small chuckle before picking up your knife with your right hand, and scooping a dollop of jam unto the blade. But when you attempted to spread it onto your toast, the bread simply skidded across the plate, for you had no hand to hold it still. That was, until Jack's hand came across and held it's crusted edges, allowing you to spread the jam. You laughed as you accidentally smothered one of Jack's fingers in the sticky spread, and he too joined in.

North and Bunny quietened as they glanced over at the two teens, Tooth catching on fairly quickly and smiling happily, finding the scene rather adorable, while Bunny and North hadn't cottoned on that much and simply shrugged it off as kids being kids.

"Sorry~" You chimed innocently, and Jack smirked before lifting up his finger and wiping the jam onto your cheek. You gasped and tried to wipe it off, only spreading it down your face. Jack began to laugh, although it was cut short as he let out a small yelp.

"Ow!"

You glared at him, your face twisted into a somewhat demonic grin as you dug you nails into his hand. "I still haven't got you back for earlier, have I?" You questioned, as Jack grimaced, offering a small, "Sorry?"

Unable to help yourself, your evil demeanour fell and you let go of his hand, laughing again. Then you glanced over at North, who had finally finished filling his belly, as had the other Guardians, and the Yetis were already cleaning the plates. Quickly you grabbed another slice of toast, before they were taken away fromthe table. Jack had noticed the same thing and snatched up the jam covered toast on you plate and taking a large bite before setting it back down.

"Hey!" You exclaimed, your jaw dropping. "That's mine!" You glared playfully at Jack as you grabbed the butter, and took off the lid. Jack met your glare with his signature smirk, unfazed.

"I know." He stated simply, as you began to spread the butter over your second slice of toast.

"Jerk." You muttered, a smile hidden in the corner of your mouth, as you picked up the jam toast and also took a bite, a little disappointed that it had grown slightly cold. Jack picked up the apple on his plate, before offering the empty dish to the Yeti walking past. You rushed to finish off both slices of toast, and also give your plate to the Yetis, who in return gave you what you believed was a smile, though their long fur prevented it from being seen clearly.

"Okay, everyone, breakfast is over, we now move on to meeting." North stated clearly, gathering everyone's attention. His old blue eyes drifted over to you and you gulped slightly, butterflies throwing a storm inside you. Here came the answers. And the only question you had in your mind at the time was,

_'Will I want to know the true answers?'_

North placed his elbow on the table, resting his chin upon his knuckles. "Now. We all know why Amber is among us. Why? Because she is not safe in her own home. Why?" He questioned, causing the Guardians to glance at each other and then at you. Sandy looked over at North and formed a question mark above his head. The old man nodded his head and slammed a clenched fist onto the table. "Because our enemy is targeting her, for some unknown reason, that is why." He replied, and Toothiana's feathers bristled as she glanced at your downcast face. Although she had not known you long, she could not deny that she felt an almost sibling attachment to you, feeling the full urge to protect you from any harm.

"Does Manny know about her and what Pitch is up to?" Bunnymund spoke up, frowning fiercely. He had still not forgiven the Boogeyman for what he had done on Easter Sunday all those years ago. Sandy nodded in agreement with Bunny's question, looking back up at North.

"There's only one way to find out." Jack added in, taking another bite of his apple. You throw him a confused look and open your mouth to form a reply, but North interrupts before the words leave your tongue.

"You will know who Manny is soon." He stated simply, before pushing his chair back and standing up. "Everybody to the globe room." North ordered. Your eyes widened and you quickly scrambled out of your chair, accidentally swinging you arm to hit Jack's head.

"Ouch! Amber! Jack yelped, turning to throw you a frown, as he finished the last of his apple, but by the time he had looked, you were already frantically rushing over to North, your eyes filled with pure concern and a flood of worry filled your expression.

"Wait! North!" You exclaimed, pulling on his arm causing him to halt and turn to you with a questioning gaze.

"What is it, little one?" North questioned, patting your head gently in a way to comfort you, for he could practically feel your panic in the air.

"You said you'd answer my questions at this meeting so please tell me; where are my brother and sister?" You pleadingly asked, tears brimming your eyes. You were incredibly worried, even though you had been in such a light mood only moments ago. North couldn't help but feel a wave of pity soak into his expression, as he laid both hands on your shoulders and pulled you into a large embrace.

"Calm yourself, they are in safe hands. A good ally of the Guardians is taking care of them. They're out of danger." He told you, causing you to relax into the hug and nod, mumbling a quiet 'Okay' into North's thick clothing. A large hand rubbed your back gently before you felt a bob on the head, and lifted your head to meet a sapphire gaze.

"Y'know, we can take you to see them later, if you want?" Jack offered with a grin as he floated over you before meeting North's calm eyes. "Right, North?"

"Of course. We cannot keep family apart." North chuckled lightly before letting you go and patting your shoulder twice. "Come come. The others have already gone ahead and we do not have all the day." He stated softly. You gave him a quick nod before running after Jack, who was already flying ahead.

Eventually, all the Guardians and yourself were settled in the globe room, the Guardians conversing by the fireplace, while you were stood by the balcony, leaning over the side to peer down at the work going on. All of sudden, you felt a light push to your back and you hugged the handrail tightly, in fear of tumbling over the other side. Quickly, you whipped your head around to throw a sharp glare at Jack.

"What?" He chuckled innocently, gaining him a flick on the nose. In reaction he let out a small yelp jumping away from you before a grin played upon his lips. "Y'know, Amber, I could take you for another _tour_~~" He practically threatened. Your eyes widened and you released the handrail and waved your hands frantically.

"Nope! I'm fine~!" You replied sweetly, your gaze flickering over to the other Guardians. You then looked back to Jack and asked, "Jack…? How did you guys become…well…What you are?"

Jack's eyes widened, his eyebrows lifting as he walked over to you and tuck his hand into the large pocket on the front of his frosted hoodie. "Well…Are you sure you want to hear? I doubt you'll be that impressed, y'know?" He offered, but when he gained a pleading look from you, he let out a sigh and began.

"Okay, well…I'm not too sure about the other Guardians' stories, but we were all humans once." He paused and glanced over to you, smirking when he noted your face spread with confusion. "Yeah. We all had lives of our own, and when they ended, the Man in the Moon, or as we call him, Manny-"

"Oh, I see." You mumbled to yourself, quiet enough not to interrupt Jack.

"-Gave us the chance to live again, but in this life, we had a duty. A duty to protect the children of the world. There are quite a lot of spirits, like Mother Nature, the Leprechaun, the Mermaid, it goes on. But there are only five of us, Guardians. Although all spirits look after the well-being of the living, we have been given something specific to protect, to guard."

Your eyes shone at this and you nodded your head in a way to urge the spirit to continue. Jack chuckled, letting out another sigh before agreeing to your request and doing so.

"Okay, well seeing as no one has actually introduced themselves to you fully, I'll do it now." He began before pointing over at North.

"You know North, Santa Claus. And he is the Guardian of Wonder. Toothiana, the Tooth Fairy, she is the Guardian of Memories." Jack explained, pointing at the hovering female, surrounded by her fairies. Then he moved onto the two Guardians standing by the farthest pillar. "Sandy, the Sandman, is the Guardian of Dreams and Bunnymund, the Easter Bunny, is the Guardian of Hope." He finished off, before turning to you, closing his eyes as he grinned and jerked a thumb at himself.

"And I'm the Guardian of Fun. Impressive, huh, Amber?" He chuckled, opening his eyes to a silence. "Amber?" He asked again, but you did not reply. You didn't do anything other than stand there, eyes looked onto the moon that had appeared in the glass window above you.

Everything else became blurred and seemingly insignificant, and all you could hear was this sweet song that filled your entire core, swimming through your mind and clearing away your negativity, a song you thought you recognised, a voice that did not sound foreign to your ears. In this daze, you didn't notice any change when the moon beam fell upon you and pulled you gently into the air, nor did you notice the Guardians gathered on the floor beneath, looking up in awe.

But you couldn't help but feel as though it was all…familiar…

"Sweet child, daughter of the star…" A male voice called loud and clear, as you brought into a pure white embrace, filled with warmth. "You are confused and scared, are you not?" The voice questioned, yet in reply you shook your head.

"Not right now…" You whispered as your senses began to return, yet all you could feel was curiosity and pure wonder.

"That is good, child. But…You must have your wits. You are in grave danger, and I am afraid that it was I who has caused it." The voice explained, sadness and regret dripping in its tone. "Child…Do you know when you were born?" The voice questioned.

"Um…My birthday is the 21st of May?" You offered, your face forming a frown as you looked up to the moon, still shining above you.

"On the night you were born, the Northern Star threw one of her rays down to her Earth, in hope that part of her could live a life on the Earth she had adored for millions of years. Yet, her ray would not have survived on its own, and wishing to help, I reflected the pure starlight into the body of a new-born child. You." The voice explained, its story-telling almost sending you back to your childhood when you had sat on your Father's lap and listened to his wondrous adventures.

"Wait…." You started but the voice quickly cut in, seemingly panicked.

"Dear child, my time is almost up, and I have more to tell you. Listen carefully." It ordered in a gentle manner, and you obliged, shutting your mouth and staring into the moon's intense gaze.

"The Boogeyman, Pitch, wishes to be rid of me. He has tried to destroy the Guardians before now and failed, blaming my own actions for this failure. But now, he has knowledge of the starlight within you. If he manages to take it from you, he could unlock its full potential using darkness, knowing that it's dark matter could destroy me." The voice told you quickly, rushing as clouds began to gather, nearly blocking the moon beam. "But, to get the starlight, he needs you to relinquish it, whether it's through death or other means." The voice warned you, and you felt a pit rise in your stomach. You could be murdered? The thought hadn't even occurred to you before in your whole life.

_Now_, you were scared.

"What do I do?!" You asked in a panicked manner, eyes searching for some answer in the face of the moon.

"You must find your centre." It replied. "Find your centre and allow your own starlight to break through the barriers of human nature. To do this, you must-"  
The voice was abruptly cut off as clouds blocked the moon from view, and everything fell apart. The pure white became ushered with glitter and waves of blue, and the air was rushing past as you fell towards the depths of the ice glacier.

_'Wait…What?!'_

A scream erupted from your throat as you plummeted down from the sky, where the beam had pulled you out of the window and into the cold outside world. Eyes brimmed with newly formed tears, you began to claw at the sky, trying in vain to snatch the clouds far, far above you.

_'I'm going to die…'_ You thought before cursing up at the cloud covered moon. "Goddammit Manny!" You yelled, tears streaming through the air, along with your long locks of blonde hair.

"Aw, what did he do now?" A familiar voice chuckled from your right, and you looked past your tears at the Guardian of Fun, falling next to you, as gravity pulled straight into the mouth of the ice glacier, it's large cavern swallowing you whole.

"JACK?!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"JACK?!"  
The Guardian of Fun chuckled and lifted a non-existent hat to you, as you both continued to fall. Your eyes were wide, half filled with tears as you stared at him, jaw hanging.  
"I'm glad the others told me to fly out with you. We lost sight of you once you went out of that window~" Jack chuckled, before in a split second his eyebrows shot up and he grabbed your arm, pulling you smack-bang into his chest. You let out a small shriek, surprised by this movement, as your fall came to a sudden halt, for Jack had decided it'd be best not to continue with the descend, especially after catching glimpses of the treacherously sharp ice formations waiting beneath them.  
"Not as deep as I thought it'd be…" He muttered, referring to the cavern before glancing at you as you were staring at the large blade of ice Jack had pulled you away from. Had you continued falling, there was no doubt that you'd be like a piece of meat on a kebab stick.  
"Jesus…" You mumbled, before gulping and looking up at Jack, wrapping your arms around his neck. "C-Could you get us out of here? Now, please." You smiled weakly at him, you stomach churning as he grinned in reply and shot upwards. When he held you like this, with his arm wrapped tightly around your waist, you felt your face burn up and there was a tight feeling in your chest. It really made you wonder if you actually liked-  
"Of course not!" You yelled out loud, shaking your head quickly, causing Jack to jump, startled by your sudden outburst. You realised what you had just said and covered your mouth before muttering, "S-Sorry, I was just…Um…."  
Jack chuckled, taking your stuttering into stride, not dwelling upon the matter any further as he continued to fly up, looking towards the clouded sky. But, his expression changed quickly as you both neared the entrance of the ice cavern, for he could only wear a frown as he heard you whisper,  
"I'm a nuisance, aren't I?"  
Jack looked at you and his brows furrowed. "Amber, it's not your fault you were dragged out of the window. It's Manny's." He told you, and you gave a sigh.  
"Not what I meant, Jack. I mean…look at me! I'm just a girl with a some self-defence skills and a shard of star-whatever that I don't know how to use!" You exclaimed, suddenly infuriated with yourself, as Jack slowed the flight once you hit the open air. "I'm useless."  
Jack frowned as he began to lower you both to the snow covered ground, eyes hard as ice. With the hints of a smirk tweaking the corners of his mouth, Jack dropped you into the nearest snow drift. You gasped before hitting the snow face first with a soft thud, yet instead of getting up, you simply laid there, glad North had given you such warm clothing. You heard a snicker in front of you and slowly raised you head, glaring straight ahead at the familiar pair of blue orbs.  
"May I ask why you did that?" You questioned, your expression clearly revealing how unimpressed you were with his past action. Jack chuckled before flopping down onto the snow next to you. You frowned slightly, rolling over so that you were laying on you back next to the Guardian.  
"I just wanted to see you laugh." At this your face turned sour and you propped yourself onto your elbows to shoot another glare at him. "My plan didn't work though…" He cringed sheepishly, before peeking at your annoyed poker face, and grimacing slightly. "And now you want to kill me, right?"  
It was at this, that a smile crept onto your face and you found yourself chuckling despite yourself. "Nah, not worth the effort~" You replied, gaining a feigned gasp from the frost sprite.  
"Your harsh words wound me~!" He proclaimed dramatically, clutching the hoodie covering his chest as he faked heart ache. You giggled and clutched some of the snow before dropping it onto his face and rubbing it in. Jack let out a gasp before grinning.  
"Alright. Bring it, girlie~!" He chuckled as he got up, taking a handful of snow and rolling it into a ball. By this point you were also getting up, but when you raised your head to set your eyes on the 'enemy', a snow ball hit you square in the face. The shock of it sent you falling backwards onto your behind before you wiped the snow from your face and gathered some snow in your hand.  
"Oh, you are so dead, Jack Frost~"

-

"They seem to be having fun~" Tooth chuckled from her perch on the window sill, turning to look at the Sandman besides her grinning at him. He nodded his head before smirking and forming two figures resembling you and Jack, and then a heart blossoming above each of your heads. The Tooth Fairy giggled before her eyes flickered over to her fairies and she quickly ordered, "Ah, 4 molars in London, Kensington."  
The fairies nodded, chirping once or twice before two of them zoomed away, leaving only three remaining. Tooth smiled softly and turned to look back at the two children playing about in the snow. "I wonder what Manny told her…." She mumbled to herself, surprised when a voice behind her sounded, causing the feathers on her shoulders and head to jerk softly.  
"I wonder that too, but we can only wait for her to tell us. Perhaps it is personal matter?" North pondered having also approached the window to look at You and Jack mucking around. "But Jack seems keen to impress her, yes?" North chuckled, Tooth and Sandy joining in before-  
"How are you guys so calm?!" Bunnymund exclaimed, jumping over to them. He was rather shaken up. Apparently, he'd heard part of Manny's message when he had fallen into a spot of moonlight, and from what he heard, it wasn't good. "I don't know what Pitch is up to, but I'm worried about that girl. She's still just a normal kid!" He growled angrily, eyes flicking towards the window urgently.  
"Bunny…" Tooth sighed before flitting over to him, leaving Sandy and North by the window, who were now making plans for Christmas Eve, for Santa needed the children to be sleeping when he arrived to deliver gifts. The Tooth Fairy gently guided Bunnymund over to the balcony before wrapping her arms around him in a light embrace. "Bunny, you really are such a worry wart. Don't worry about her. She may be a kid, but she's still a strong girl. Okay? Besides, she's got us to take care of-" Tooth's comforting was cut short as a loud scream sounded and Sandy shot past, heading for the exit, North quickly ordering a few Yetis to gather arms.  
"North! What is it?!" Bunnymund exclaimed, both he and Tooth wearing surprised expressions, eyes filled with concern.  
"Nightmares."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Another scream echoed across the white snow, soon to be corrupted by darkness that seeped into its pure skin and polluted it, turning its glimmer and shine into a sea of ebony. Nightmares streamed across the snow, their hooves beating it savagely, sending clouds of snow into the air behind them as they stormed towards their target, saffron orbs set on the girl held in the arms of the newest Guardian, flying up towards the clouds.

"Frost..." A voice echoed through the fearlings, the distaste in its tone clear as night and day. The boy's involvement was not something the bringer of fear appreciated, and he would not forgive the winter spirit for taking away his weapon. The shadow King slammed his fist into a pillar of his lair, watching the preparation for the battle to come through the eyes of his fearlings.

"That boy always gets in my way. But not this time. Kill him." He ordered in a hushed whisper through gritted teeth, his eyes closed as he observed Jack Frost hold the weapon in his arms and attempt to fly to safety. "KILL HIM!"

The Nightmares took less than a second to obey the command and charged at the boy. The girl in his arms squealed and ducked as a hand of black sand clawed at the air her face had just recently occupied. Even through the chaos now erupting around them, Pitch Black could still hear the girl's whimpering.

"Don't get too comfortable under their care, my dear. You shan't be with them much longer…"

The voice echoed in your ears but you had no idea who it belonged to though it sounded familiar. You clung to Jack as the Nightmares charged at you both in mid-air. "J-JACK! FASTER!" You exclaimed, panic overwhelming you as you frantically looked around and discovered the horrifying truth.

You were surrounded.

"Jack…" You voice sank into a low whisper as Jack made a choice in that split second after catching a glimpse of red…and threw you up higher into the sky. At first, you didn't really understand what was happening, only that you suddenly felt cradled by the wind as it pushed you upwards. It was only when gravity gave a tug that a scream was thrown out if your lungs. But it didn't last long as you landed with a hard thump on wood.

"What?" You questioned out loud, looking up to see North steering this beast of a sleigh across the sky, ploughing through the storm of Nightmares. A furry paw was held out to you and your gaze shifted over to the large rabbit bearing an apologetic grin.

"Sorry we're so late, Amber" Bunnymund said, giving you a soft pat on the back after pulling you to your feet. You gave him a small grin about to thank him when his emerald eyes flicked downwards and widened. "Bloody hell…" He whispered in shock as you followed his gaze to see Jack lying in the snow, his staff still in his tight grip as he shakily got onto his hands and knees, unaware of the Nightmare about to trample on his head.

"JACK!" You screamed, rushing over to the side of the sleigh but Toothiana and Sandy were already on the case. The Tooth Fairy and an ever-increasing amount of fairies, charged at the Nightmare, beating it with strong hits, using their wings to slice through the other Nightmares. Meanwhile, Sandy formed a small airplane out of his golden sand, the sheen near blinding the Nightmares, his golden glow a complete contrast to their dark shadows. After pulling down the golden goggles on his forehead, he grinned and aimed at the Nightmares before-

Rallies of golden bullets filled the air, dispersing the Nightmares into explosions of ash, as fairies flitted about the air in groups, targeting Nightmares and destroying them swiftly and cleanly in a womanly fashion, dusting themselves down afterwards. You watched in awe as they fought, letting out a gasp as Bunny called to North, -yelling something about catching him- before he leapt out of the sleigh, throwing his boomerang at a huddle of Nightmares, his feet hitting another as he landed on its head. The sleigh had already swerved down, crashing through charging Nightmares. North released the reigns yelling to the reindeer to pilot the sleigh as he whipped two swords from his waist and sliced through a majority of the Nightmares that tried to take out the sleigh. Suddenly the sleigh jolted to the left as reindeer switched directions and SLAM! Bunny hit the floor of the sleigh in a crouched form before up righting himself and catching the boomerang he had thrown.

"Wow…" You mumbled, looking up at him in awe. Bunnymund looked back at you and grinned before he turned his head to the side, after glimpsing something out of the corner of his eye and groaned. "Oi, North! We have company! Seems Pitch's decided to join the party." He moaned, growing even more annoyed now. But you narrowed your eyes at the sight of the man cloaked in darkness riding a chariot pulled by five Nightmares, his scythe in the hand that wasn't gripping the reins.

"My turn…" You mumbled to yourself before diving over to the back of the sleigh. Due to the rush and panic of getting the sleigh out to help, North hadn't allowed the elves time to clear up the mess they'd left, which included a variety of toys and arts and crafts items. All the items you needed, after all…arts and crafts were your speciality.

"Amber! What the heck ya' doin'?!" Bunnymund questioned after lobbing three eggs at the chariot that sailed past. You smirked as you ripped some tape from its holder, effectively sticking the chosen toy to your foot. You quick tapped a matching toy, only differing in colour, to your other bare foot as Pitch began to address the Guardians.

"My my, I hope you enjoyed the starter! If you didn't like it, why not pay the bill now?" Pitch questioned, saffron eyes glinting dangerously before flaring when Jack replied from down below, blood dripping from a cut on his forehead.

"I think we'll give the main course a try!" He called up, Pitch glari g down at Jack's grin, though the frost spirit was fuming inside, furious that Pitch was making Amber seem like an item. A tool. Jack wasn't going to put up with that and flew up towards Pitch who was already waiting. His scythe swung down, giving one of Jack's locks an uneven trim as the Guardian barely dodged the blade. "Moon Almighty…" Jack muttered, his eyes wide. He hadn't expected the heavy weapon to have swung that fast, but it seemed the Nightmare King had been practising.

Meanwhile, you had finished taping the 'flying saucers' to your feet. The toys were the ones that you had seen earlier that morning, and even though you had been unsure before, after spotting a Yeti nearly pulled off of the ground by just holding onto one of the toys, you were certain two of them could hold your weight.

"Hey, Tooth!" You yelled, standing up as Bunnymund glanced down at your feet with a confused expression. The Tooth Fairy looked up and flew over to you with a questioning look on her face. "Give Jack some back up! He's riding it rough!" You ordered, a sudden strategic plan taking form in your head. Toothiana could see the gears turning and nodded before shooting up towards the battle above them, while North and his reindeer held off the Nightmares.  
"Bunny! You know how to work a remote control, right?" You questioned, offering him the one that was wirelessly linked to the saucer on your right foot. He nodded and accepted it, gathering your idea. "Okay, that'll only move my right foot, but I should be able to lead the other one if you direct me with that." You told him before gasping as warm fur was suddenly surrounding your face. Bunnymund had pulled you in a warm embrace, before quickly separating and patting you on the head gently.

"Go get 'em, Sheila." He grinned before flicking on the remote's switch, as you leant down and turned on the saucers.

"Will do, Bunny." You replied with a smirk before calling over to North. "Hey, North! Can you spare a sword?" You inquired. An answer came quickly, as a sword was thrown to you a second later. You quickly snatched it's handle, surprised by its lightness, and by the fact taht you caught it properly without slicing off a finger.

"Good luck, Amber!"

You looked up to meet North's grin with one of your own before nodding to Bunny. "Alright, let's do this." You told him. He nodded before pressing the 'Start' button. You eyes widened instantly as you felt your stomach roll.

"OH S #*!"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

A loud shriek broke the fierce gaze between gold and rose pink as, Pitch tore his eyes from the fairy writhing in the chocking grip around her neck. In shock, the Nightmare King almost released the fairy, his brow furrowing as he watched the scene before him play out. Ice blue eyes raised their vision upwards towards the stormed sky, widening in astonishment. Jack's jaw dropped and he pushed himself onto his feet, groaning as his chest started to ache. His gaze darted back and forth as he looked skyward, before he finalised his decision and shot up like a fired arrow, towards Pitch and Toothiana, deciding that the human girl darting about the sky, swinging a giant sword, now upside down...could really take care of herself.

You would have hated to disagree, but you really thought that little bit of help could've done some good. But it wasn't something your mind dwindled on, as your right leg shot forward again and then pulled you down into a tight spin, mimicking a screwdriver. You screamed again, clutching the handle on the sword tightly, not caring when it accidentally cut through the Nightmares that were curious enough to approach their seemingly crazed target. Another jolt of the small joystick, and you were set upright again, before hovering forward and then backwards, and then spinning around three times. It was like a strange airborne salsa; not something you thought you would be doing over the Christmas holidays.

"Crikey...oopse..." Bunny muttered to himself as he narrowed his eyes, concentrating on controlling the 'flying saucers' taped to your feet before a small buzz of wings notified him of the group of fairies that had come over to observe the situation. Their pink eyes, similar to their Queen's, scanned over the controller and then flickered back over to you and your screeching. They made small tutting noises before removing Bunny's thumbs from the controller; though they made sure he still supported it in the palms of his hand, his other hand reaching for the occasional egg to throw. Gently, they pulled you out of the loop Bunny had left you in, causing you to feel deflated and queasy. But the change of pace was soft and elegant, and the fairies seemed to know exactly what they were doing, carefully keeping the speed at a steady pace till you grew used to it, and managed to bring in your left leg. Soon enough, the controller wasn't even really needed as you adjusted you weight from left to right, swinging North's sword out at any Nightmares daring to approach you. An idea sprung into your mind and you gave a quick glance down at the sleigh almost directly beneath you before calling out, "Send me up into the clouds!"  
The fairies exchanged a few looks between each other before nodding and accelerating you in the clouds that covered the sky.

Pitch growled when he turned to the sleigh, furious for having lost sight of you, before throwing a sharp glare over his shoulder at the battered frost spirit and the barely conscious fairy. While you had been shrieking and screaming, they had been fighting till their bodies ached and throbbed, Pitch only gaining a light stitch and a few bruises. But, he knew how unprepared for this they had been. An attack so soon? Why, it was a splendid idea. And the Guardians hadn't even tasted his full power yet. They didn't know of the new contract he'd formed with his fearlings.

After the event on the frozen lake, the Guardians probably believed Pitch to be weak now, physically and emotionally. But, they couldn't be more wrong. Although his servants attacked him and mutinied, the Lord of Nightmares still managed to remain standing and took their beatings without question because he knew why they had turned on him. He had failed. He had shown fear and his humanity had begun to bristle within him. It was this acceptance and understanding that proved him still worthy to be their master. So, they spoke with him, gave him new goals, new powers and a new target. They challenged him to push himself further than ever before and now...now rebellion against him was out of the question. He and his fearlings weren't two single entities anymore, using each other simply to achieve their goals. No. They were one. Pitch had bound himself to the fearlings, as they bound themselves to him. And now the little fairy and the frost boy were about to get a taste of this new power.

"You two...are really pushing it." He muttered, gritting his teeth before throwing out his palms at them both. From his own hands, black sand jetted out towards the two Guardians. Tooth's eyes widened and she quickly grabbed Jack and shoved him down. The wind lost its grip on the frost sprite, and he plummeted down until BANG. He hit the deck of the sleigh with a loud yelp of pain as his wounds throbbed on the impact, a few new bruises joining his battle marks. Tooth on the other hand, was now wrapped tightly in coils of ebony ash-like sand, her arms pinned to her side and her wings' membranes crushed painfully in a vice-like grip. Her violet eyes filled with tears instantly as a shagged gasp escaped her bitten lips.

"Tooth!" Bunnymund yelled, growling furiously as he shot a glare up at Pitch, but his gaze was torn away from the smirking villain as the sleigh ground to a sharp halt. He stumbled across the vehicle as North tumbled backwards into the passenger seats and Jack groaned under the weight of the larger man. Bunnymund glanced over at the reindeer, their reins now grasped in the hands of fearling men that were swarming around the slay, some even riding the Nightmares.

"You bloody little…Jack! Fly up and-" Bunny trailed off when he glanced over at Jack, in obvious pain after North got up, his bruises throbbing aggressively. "…Never mind…. Amber is still up there…" He mumbled, furrowing his brow before glancing down at the fairies cowering at his ankles. "Hey…" He crouched down and petted one of them on the head. "Don't worry about Tooth. She's one strong woman, 'kay?"

The fairies nodded, somewhat comforted before North clasped his sword. "No time for chit chat! We must keep going!" He yelled, slicing a nearby fearling. Bunny understood and threw his boomerang and grabbed some egg-bombs. The fairies in the sleigh called for their sisters, of whom shot up in a large swarm. "Let us show them who we are!" North grinned slightly, the thrill swelling inside him as he swung his sword. "We are Guardians!"

"Oh, how sweet…" Pitch cooed, a hand stroking the soft feathers of his captive, who flinched at his touch. "Look at them get all fired up…It's adorable…Now perhaps…I can deal away with you in peace…Such a shame to eliminate a woman such as yourself, but all is fair in love and war, my dear…" Pitch voice darkened as in his free hand, black sand had gathered and spun into the shape of a grotesque blade, of which sent a fearful shudder through Toothiana's body. She was scared. Very, very scared. And Pitch could tell. He fed off of that fear as he pulled the blade back, preparing for the blow that would finish the fairy, who looked pleadingly at him with a tearful gaze, when-

"Surprise!"

You burst out of the clouds above him and swung down with the sword held in both hands, aiming straight for the man who looked up with an utterly confounded expression settled on his face. But he reacted quickly, the blade in his hand stretching into the form of a large scythe of his he met with your sword.

"Why you little minx…" Pitch growled, a smirk tugging at his lips, "You'd make such a wonderful fearling~" He added with a purr, pulling the scythe back and swinging it round at you. But you were far too quick, dipping and dodging, zipping this way and that. And all the whole, Pitch was growing more and more agitated as you laughed, taking it as a sort of game. "Stay still, brat. I need you alive!" He yelled eventually, his arms growing tired as his patience wore out. You laughed again before quickly ducking beneath him and slicing at the trail of black sand, leading from him to Toothiana's binds. But before you could assist further, a whip of ebony lashed out, wrapping around your soft neck, choking you as your body jerked backwards into the grasp of the Boogeyman. You wheezed, your face turning an uncomfortable pink as your supply of air was cut off.

"Now see what you made me do…" Pitch sighed, reaching out and gently stroking you cheek, and you felt your transport being ripped off of your feet by the black sand. You winced, trying to flinch away from him, but you were losing strength. Your lungs was crying out for air and you were struggling to remain conscious. "Well…I think it's time for me to leave the left overs and take my payment~" The Nightmare King chuckled, admiring the state of pain and distress he'd put you in.

"Or you could order dessert?" A voice came from behind, and Pitch turned just in time for Toothiana to land a furious fire of punches. After the tether of sand chaining her to Pitch had been severed, Tooth had wriggled free of the coal black binds, and although her wings throbbed and protested against the movement, she still shot about in the air, gritting her teeth through the pain as Pitch released you to defend himself and strike out blindly at the fairy zipping around him. You fell, and with nothing to hold you in the air, you continued to fall into the abyss of snow beneath, you hair tangling with the wind as you closed your eyes. No more saviours. No more rescues. You could do this.

"Centre…What's my centre?" You questioned yourself, trying to remain calm. "I'm going to die.." You muttered before wrapping your arms around your chest and mentally crying out. Out to the Northern Star, to the Man in the Moon, to the starlight inside you. Crying out for their guidance. You didn't notice the Boogeyman cast the fairy away from him and shoot down towards you, or the albino boy that yelled your name and jumped into the air to save you. You only focused on a gleaming light inside you. Your centre.

Meanwhile, the Northern Star was watching in distress as her daughter plummeted to the ground and frantically thought of ways to help her unlock the true power she held inside. So the Northern Star took a deep breath and began to sing her lullaby.

_"__Star light, star bright  
Please grant my wish tonight.  
Listen to my prayer and guide me right  
Star light, star bright  
Did you hear my wish tonight?  
Listen to my heart as it calls out to you…"_

Your eyes opened as the lullaby rang in your ears and a smile tugged at your lips, as you whispered a gentle, "Thanks…Mum…"

And the light was blinding…


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Eyes welled with tears as the light burned into the cerulean orbs, the albino flinching away from his friend, a hand flying upwards to shield his eyes. He peered through his fingers at the girl, now frozen in mid-air, arms spread out like wings, and the most beautiful glow framing her as the light shot from her chest. It was stunning. She looked like an angel, framed with light, with such a soft smile on her face.  
Meanwhile, another being tried to retreat from the piercing light, it's gaze tearing through his comfortable layers of darkness, and it felt like he was burning up. Pitch let out a growl and gave a final attempt to reach for the girl, but alas, he wasn't even close enough to touch her foot. With a howl of frustration, he turned to his forces, all of them cowering away from the threat the girl held. His attention drifted over to the Guardians in the sleigh, all of them now joined together as they watched in awe. And then he drew his eyes upwards towards the sky. Though it was mostly covered by the dull clouds, the Northern Star could still be seen, smirking down at the Boogeyman, pride welling inside her as she continued to sing.  
A deep breath left your soft lips as your chest rose and fell gently, your eyes fluttering open. Everything seemed to have slowed down, and you suddenly felt lighter than air. It was as if you'd been thrown into a warm pool of water, drifting beneath the surface, as those around you remained blurred to the vision. Your hair floated about you, tangling with the light you emitted from your heart.  
The starlight.  
"It's…it's my heart. The starlight is…my heart…" You whispered, exhaling a small sigh of happiness. You'd found the source of your power, although your centre still hadn't been made clear yet. But no sooner had you begun to wonder, your vision cleared and you could easily see Jack, who hadn't left your side though the tears streaming down his face were evident. Your gaze tailed over to the shocked Boogeyman, who turned tail and began to flee the scene, his nightmares and fearling men swarming together to meet him.  
"Oh, no…You don't get off so easy…" You murmured before the light exploded around you. But that wasn't what amazed the Guardians. It was the creatures trailing out of the light now swirling around your head. Tigers, lions, bears and wolves erupted from your mind, followed by airplanes shooting bullets of light, and birds with their talons outstretched. Greeks threw discuses after the retreating forces and elven archers took aim before firing a wave of arrows at the Nightmares and Fearlings. Those of Pitch's forces that were hit and attacked by your light simply dissolved into it, and now stallions of pure white joined the Front Lines, chasing away the foe.  
Pitch rode on his fastest nightmare, his breathing shallow as he fled the scene, eyes wide as he steered his Nightmare straight up towards the clouds. He shouldn't have underestimated the human girl. He had none to blame but himself. But he did not linger and simply vanished into the darkened cloud above, the tiger at his tail now clawing at it.  
You exhaled a final breath as the light suddenly shot back into you, and the only light now was that of the Northern Star above, still singing her sweet song that filled your ears. It wasn't a second later that gravity now grabbed you and began to pull you back down to the snow-covered ground, your eyes fluttering closed. But, when you fall came to a halt and you felt a pair of arms envelope you into a warm embrace, you peeked through your lashes to see the soft smile worn on the frost spirits face as he held you close. You wrapped your arms around his neck and laid your head in the crook of his neck as he rubbed your back and flew back inside.

Heavy breathing echoed around you and you couldn't help but express a twinge of fear as goose bumps rose on your neck and arms. Your eyes darted this way and that, but all you could see was that empty black void. Well, you hoped it was empty. Although that heavy breathing was still putting you on edge. Was there someone – something else there?  
A scream caught in your throat and you choked as a pair of golden eyes glared at you through the darkness, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. You gulped and backed away from the breathing that grew louder as the eyes grew closer. It was then that a twisted grin glinted in the light.  
Wait…light?  
You looked down at your chest again, your heart beating profusely as you began to sweat. A hand drew out of the darkness and snatched your wrist while you were distracted by the unnerving dim light your heart emitted out of your chest. You inhaled sharply, attempting to wrench your hand away, but an arm wound its way around your waist and pulled you into the throbbing darkness. Your face hit a firm surface, and as your heartbeat began to flutter; panicked, the light grew stronger, and Pitch Black's face was illuminated above you.  
You screamed and struggled to escape his hold, but it wasn't long before your face was forced against his smooth chest, your eyes clenched shut.  
"Girl, don't think you'll be able to escape me. I lurk in every shadow, every dark corner. And in your nightmares. I will have you." He whispered into your ear before pushing you away from him, and your back hit a surface of water, immediately enveloping you into its cold embrace, Pitch's distorted grin the last thing you saw before you closed your eyes, and sank into the deep.

A sigh escaped your chapped lips as your eyes slowly blinked open, your body already aching even though you had only shifted slightly in the bed. Your body felt damp and clammy, and the nightmare still rang clear in your memory, as most nightmares did. You had always thought it rather ironic. The dreams we most enjoy are the ones we're least likely to remember, whereas nightmares still haunt your memory for days and perhaps weeks, maybe even months and years. In any case, despite your body's constant complaining, you sat up, not wishing to go to sleep again for fear of another visit from the Boogeyman.  
Instead, you distracted yourself by glancing around your surroundings, lighted by the warm glow of the fire to your right.  
"Oh…"  
You were back in your 'prison cell', though you weren't exactly as angry about it. You had come to feel rather special by the fact that you were sleeping in a room so precious that it had its own secret entrance. A smile tugged at you lips as your gaze flickered past the window, framing the night sky, over to the chest of drawers and you noted the pile of clothing there for you, accompanied by a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. Untangling yourself from the thick blanket, you stood up, finding yourself only dressed in your undergarments with a familiar blue hoodie clothing your torso. You cheeks burned at this and you quickly scrambled over to the clothing, ignoring the pain shooting up your side.  
You fingers trailed over the soft material and you let out a soft sigh as you thought back to that morning.

_"Let's get you all dolled up!"  
You instantly grimaced but instead of arguing just gave a shrug, deciding it'd be best to let the Tooth Fairy have her fun. After all, she was the only girl of the group. Hanging around with those guys all the time without another female must have been tiring and rather dull. So you began to dress yourself, slipping on the woollen tight, before pulling on the large baggy trousers that clenched at the ankles and waist, buttoning up just underneath your breasts. The Tooth Fairy giggled, pointing out that you have put on the vest and blouse first. You agreed with a weak grin before allowing her to assist in dressing you torso with a white vest and a cream, Victorian styled blouse that buttoned up from just beneath your chin, to your hips. With her help, your bruises didn't throb quite as much of which you were grateful for. Then, you pulled on the scarlet waist jacket, leaving it open before the Tooth Fairy attached a long, matching cloak to the waist jackets shoulder pads.  
"You look lovely." The Tooth Fairy breathed, patting your cheek gently and you couldn't help but grin sheepishly, mumbling a word of thanks._

She then picked up your brush and went on to comb it through you luscious, blonde locks before she pulled you hair up into a bun, allowing some strands to lay loose around your face, the Baby Tooth Fairies soon using their tiny hands to curl the loose strands.

Once she was satisfied with you hair, Toothiana picked up your eye liner pencil and mascara and after asking you to close your eyes, which you did, she soon trailed a thin and precise line along the edge of your eyelid before flicking it off gently at the end. And then you opened your eyes to allow her to spread mascara across your lashes, framing your glittering, brown eyes, before she picked up the deep red lipstick and painted your lips. With a somewhat excited mind-set, you ran to the mirror once she was done, and almost didn't recognise the gorgeous woman standing before you. The transformation was unbelievable. Not only did you like cool and sexy, you also had an elegance about you, and in Tooth's opinion, she thought you looked gorgeous, cute and stunning all in one.  
"Thank you." You whispered happily.

The flashback ended when, speak of the devil, Toothiana flew into the room, smiling happily."Hey, you woke up early. It's 3am, you know?" Toothiana chuckled as she headed over to you. You shrugged, "Could say the same to you." You replied with a grin. Toothiana nodded, giggling gently before taking your hand. "How about, once your changed, we pay a visit to your brother and sister?"  
Your eyes lit up and you nodded enthusiastically. "Please!" Toothiana grinned before patting your head. "Alright, get changed and then we'll be off~"


End file.
